Devices for unloading address plates on addressing machines



July 16, 1963 3,097,846

DEVICES FOR UNLOADING ADDRESS PLATES 0N ADDRESSING MACHINES Filed Dec. 8, 1961 l. SPIAZZI 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR IVO SPMZZI 1. SPIAZZI 3,097,846

DEVICES FORUNLOADING ADDRESS PLATES ON ADDRESSING MACHINES July 16, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 8, 1961 INVENTOR lv 0 SP I AZ 2| 7 ATTORNEY July 16, 1963 l. SPlAZZl 3,

DEVICES FOR UNLOADING ADDRESS PLATES ON ADDRESSING MACHINES Filed Dec. 8, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENT OR NO SPIAZ-"Zl ATTORNEY July 16, 1963 1. SPlAZZl 3,097,846

DEVICES FOR UNLOADING ADDRESS PLATES on ADDRESSING MACHINES Filed Dec. 8, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR 1V0 SPIAZZI July 16, 1963 l. SPIAZZI 3,097,846

DEVICES FOR UNLOADING ADDRESS PLATES ON ADDRESSING MACHINES Filed Dec. 8, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR \VO SPIAZZ\ BYQMMML ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,097,846 DEVICES FOR UNLOADING ADDRESS PLATES 0N ADDRESSING MACHINES Iv-o Sprazzi, Milan, Italy, assignor to Fabbrica Italiana Macchine Aziendali, Milan, Italy, a company of Italy Filed Dec. 8, 1961, Ser. No. 157,917 Claims priority, application Italy Dec. 16, 1960- 7 Claims. (Cl. 27188) Technical advances and the constantly increasing demands of the work performed have gradually brought about an increase in the number of impressions per hour which can be obtained from addressing machines.

This entails an increase in the speed of movement of the address plates along the plate track and hence the need not only to ensure regular unloading of the plates which have already been used for printing, but also to transfer said plates in the shortest possible time into the trays wherefrom they were taken to be fed into the machine.

One of the objects of the present invention is to facilitate unloading by making use of a vertically disposed drop magazine, which is, however, improved so as to facilitate the transfer of the plates stacked therein into the plate holding tray, and this is achieved by making it possible to tilt the walls of the magazine at the time of making said transfer.

Another object is to avoid stopping the machine during the operation of transferring the plates from the magazine to the holder tray, and this is achieved by providing the machine with two discharge traps, each provided with a magazine, arranged in succession along the plate track, means being provided for closing the first trap whilst the plates are directed towards the second trap.

Finally, another object is to improve the system of transporting the plates in order to make the unloading thereof easier and so to arrange the plate transport system that the lower part of each plate is completely unencumbered and hence free to fall into the underlying discharge magazine, even though said magazine is included within the field of the plate transport system.

In the accompanying illustrations:

FIG. 1 shows a partial plan view of the addressing machine, which brings out the arrangement of the two discharge magazines with the plates being conveyed towards the first discharge magazine;

FIG. 2 shows the same as FIG. 1 with the plates being conveyed towards the second discharge magazine;

FIG. 3 shows a side view according to arrow A of FIG. 1, with the discharge magazine in the filling stage;

FIG. 4 shows the same view as FIG. 3 with the discharge magazine in the unloading stage;

FIG. 5 shows a plan view of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows a contrivance for closing the inlet mouth to the discharge magazine, in the closed position;

FIG. 7 shows the same view as FIG. 6, with the contrivance in the open position;

FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the device of FIG. 6, inthe closed position;

starting from the last, by the advancing device, and conducted step by step along track 3 through various intermediate stations, to printing station 21 and then to first unloading station 22 or second unloading station 23,

3,097,846 Patented July 16, 1963 both of which are disposed vertically beneath table 4, one following the other along track 3.

The advancing device consists of two endless chains 1 and 2 on which, at intervals corresponding to the equal gap between one plate and its successor along the plate track, suitably shaped links such as 5 and 6 on chain 1, and 7 and 8 on chain 2 are fitted so as to extend into the zone of advancement of the plates and thus engage the ends of the turned up edges 9, 10 and 11, 12 of the plates. The chains are caused to move, step by step, by driving sprocket wheels such as 13 and 14, and are sent back by the driven sprocket wheels 15 and 16.

As may be seen from FIGURES 3 and 4, the vertical discharge magazine 24, which is disposed beneath the unloading station 22, consists of a rear wall formed of two rods 28 and 32, and a part opposite thereto formed of blade 27, which parts are rigidly joined together and to an operating lever 25 which is revolvable about 26 mounted on shoulders 29 and 30 fastened by means of screws to supporting stand 31 of the machine. The rotation of magazine 24 is lmited by the range of movement of the two connecting rods 33 and 34 hinged together at 35 and connected at 36 to the magazine and at 37 to shoulders 29 and 30.

Ledge 38 is formed on the bottom of the container in order to support the plate holder tray 39 when unloading. Between rods 28 and 32 Within the magazine compartment, when the latter is in the vertical position (FIG. 3), there is disposed a movable ledge 40 integral with block 41 which carries the lead screw coupled to screw 42.

By turning knob 43, the connection between screw 42 and its lead screw can be eliminated in a known manner.

Every time a plate such as 44 falls into the discharge magazine 24, the moving ledge 40 must shift downwards by a distance equal to the vertical space taken up by the plate itself, and this is achieved by causing screw 42 to rotate by a certain appropriate amount by means of a pawl 45 and toothed wheel 46 which is formed on the screw itself.

The rotation of the wheel 46 causes the lead screw to move and hence also the block 41 and the moving ledge 40.

To avoid a backward movement of screw 42, a pinion 47 is provided which is capable of rotating in one direction only and meshes with toothed wheel 48 keyed on the screw itself.

The device described works as follows.

Moving ledge 40' is initially elevated to its extreme top position by turning knob 43 in order to eliminate the connection between screw 42 and its lead screw. During the operation, the plates fall one after the other into compartment 24 of the movable magazine, through inlet 22, FIG. 1, formed in the table of the printing machine, and moving ledge 40 gradually descends until, when the magazine is full, it occupies the position corresponding to the bottom stop as in FIG. 4.

In order to extract the plates, the plate holder tray 39 is placed on support ledge 38 and held manually in the position indicated in FIG. 3; handle 49 of operating lever 25 is then gripped and movable magazine 24 is tilted downwards. In this manner, the stack of plates 44, pushed by rods 28 and'3-2 and sustained by blade 27, slides off the moving ledge 40 and onto the lateral flange 50 of the plate tray 39, whilst blade 27 remains compressed between one face of the stack of plates and the bottom 51 of the plate tray. I

Thereafter, when the tilting movement has been completed as shown in FIG. 4, the plate tray is lifted out upwards, care being taken to cause bottom 51 of the plate tray to run parallel with blade 27 in order to prevent the plates from being displaced by blade 27 itself which slides out along the bottom 51 while the plates remain arranged in a stack in the plate tray.

As will be observed, with this type of vertical discharge magazine, even though the plates do not fall directly into the plate tray, the operation of extracting said plates from the discharge magazine includes the task of introducing same into the plate tray. Therefore the two operations aforesaid, which for ease of description have been separately indicated, take place simultaneously and are in practice executed in a single movement.

In comparison with known vertical magazines, the vertical magazine in question eliminates the necessity for a transfer tray and the operations connected with the use thereof, whilst conserving the inherent virtues of vertical magazines and essentially that of fast unloading.

In comparison with horizontal magazines, it keeps the practical advantage of direct collection of the plates in the plate tray. With reference to FIGURES 6 and 7, we shall now describe the device which enables the inlet for the plates to the first discharge magazine 24, to be closed. As may be seen in FIGURES 6 and 7, the device is fitted at inlet mouth 22 to discharge magazine 24, i.e. to the first discharge magazine which is encountered along the plate track 3 in the direction of arrow F, FIG. 1.

As illustrated in FIGURES 7 and 2, when the first discharge magazine 24- is completely full of plates, any further plates have to be shunted towards the second discharge magazine 23, and it is therefore necessary that the inlet to discharge magazine 22 be closed as in FIG. 6. To obtain this there are two movable traps 52 and 53 which, since they are integral with pinions 54 and 55, can rotate with the latter on axes 56 and 57.

Pinions 54 and 55 engage respectively with toothed sectors 58 and 59 which can rotate on axes 6t) and 61. Sector 58, on account of connection 62, rotates in the opposite direction to sector 59, to which motion is given through link 63 and ibellcrank 64, hinged at 65, from eccentric 66 of shaft 67. On shaft 67 there is keyed a toothed wheel 68 which meshes with pinion 69 mounted freely on the continuously rotating driving shaft 79. Pinion 69 can be connected with its shaft 79 by means of one-cycle clutch 71, partially visible in FIGURES 6 and 7, and which has a cam disc 72 that is integral with pinion 69. An electromagnet 73 is provided for the operation of the one-cycle clutch (of known design), which, when duly energized, causes pinion 69 to rotate with its shaft 7 0.

The device works as follows: When inlet 22 to magazine 24 has to be opened, magnet 75 is energized. For this purpose there is a lug 76 projecting from block '41, FIG. 3, which, depending upon whether or not the movable container 24 is full or enmpty, is capable of acting on contacts of switches 77 and 78, respectively, through which electromagnet 73 is energized. The energizing of the electromagnet operates the one-cycle clutch and thus con nects pinion 69 with its shaft 70 which, for one cycle, transmits its rotation, through toothed wheel 68, to shaft 67 and hence to eccentric 66. Assuming the magazine 24 is empty and the block 41 has been shifted into its uppermost position, the lug 76 thereon will engage the contacts of the switch 78 to actuate the electromagnet 73, whereby the eccentric 66 is made to rotate, and through links 63 and 62, the toothed sectors are caused to rotate and with them pinions 54 and 55. Movable traps 52 and 53 thus shift into the position indicated in FIGURE 7, leaving inlet 22 to movable magazine 24 free.

Access traps 52 and 53 remain in this open position until the movable magazine is completely full of plates, and at this point lug 76 of block 41, which will then be at the bottom stop, acts on contacts of switch 77 in order once again to energize electromagnet 73. In this manner clutch 71 is once again operated and hence traps 52 and 53 are caused to move into the closed position as shown in FIG. 6. When the traps 52 and 53 are closed, the addressing machine continues to work, whilst the plates are shunted across the closed traps towards the second dis- 4 charge magazine 23, during the filling whereof magazine 24 is emptied.

We shall now describe, with reference to FIGURES 8 and 9, another embodiment, offered as an alternative, of the device for closing the inlet mouth 22 to plate container 24 in FIGURES 6 and 7.

According to the embodiment shown in FIGURES 8 and 9 for the closure of mouth 22, two movable leaves 81 and 82 are provided, which can slide between guide surfaces 83, 84, 85 and 86, parallel to themselves in the printing table, in the sense of approaching together or moving away from each other. Each of said leaves 81 and 8 2 has a bent up edge79 on leaf 81 and 89 on leaf 82and these form the sliding planes for the corresponding guide edges 97 and 98 of the address plates when the device is in the closed position as in FIG. 8.

Leaves 81 and 82 are provided with projections 87 and 88 the lower ends of which are notched to accommodate pins 92. and 93, respectively. Pins 92 and 93 are carried by one end of angle levers 89 and 90, which are hinged at 91 and 92 and connected at their other ends to a prolongation 94 of the core of electromagnet 95, corresponding to electromagnet 73 of the device of FIG- URES 6 and 7. As with electromagnet 73, contacts 77 and 78 of FIG. 3, actuated by lug 76 of block 41, are inserted in the supply circuit of electromagnet 95.

Levers 89 and 90 are normally held in the closed position, shown in FIG. 8, by spring 96. This is the situation with electromagnet not energized.

Considering the device in the open position as in FIG. 9 (electromagnet 95 energized), as address plates 99 arrive one by one at inlet mouth 22 along plate track 3, since said address plates find no support in this position, they fall into the compartment of container 24 on to support ledge 40 which, as described, descends by degrees towards the bottom. When container 24 is completely full of plates, lug 76 of block 41 acts on contact 77 and deenergizes electromagnet 95.

Spring 96 then causes levers 89 and 90 to rotate on pins 91 and 92 in the direction of bringing pins 92 and 93 closer together, since they are no longer prevented from so moving by the opposition of the stem 94 of the core of electromagnet 95.

As a consequence, leaves 81 and 82 shift towards each other to occupy the closed position as shown in FIG. 8.

Electromagnet 95 remains deenergized and hence the device in the closed position, until, after the extraction of the stack of plates from container 24, the lug 76 on block 41 is brought to the top travel end position to actuate contact 78 which, by closing the circuit feeding the electromagnet 95, causes same to be energized and hence leaves 81 and 82 to move apart as in FIG. 9.

In order to avoid taking up any space whatsoever beneath the plate track, the system for advancing the plates consists of two closed ring chains 1 and 2 lying in a plane parallel to that of the plate track and disposed longitudinally along the sides of the plate track 3 formed in table 4 of the addressing machine.

As may be seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, the two chains with the series of pushing teeth 5, 6, 7 and 8 act on the rear ends (in relation the direction of advancement indicated by arrow F) of the bent up edges of the plates, so as to push them step by step along the plate track from the loading magazine 17 through the various stations 18, 19 and 20 at which the plates stay for the execution of the operations connected with the functioning of addressing machines, and through the printing station 21 up to the discharge magazines 22 and 23.

I claim:

1. In an addressing machine including a horizontally disposed table, and means for conveying address plates one by one past a printing station on said table to at least one discharge opening in said table, means beneath said table for collecting the address plates one above another as they fall through said opening, comprising (a) at least one guide member extending downward-1y beneath said table,

(b) a vertically movable platform mounted beneath said table in registry with said opening in said table,

(0) means mounting said guide member adjacent the lower end thereof for limited pivotal movement about a horizontal axis between a first position in which said member is positioned vertically beneath said opening and a second position in which said member is inclined from the vertical, and

(d) means for removably supporting beneath said table for pivotal movement with said guide member, a plate-holding tray having a plate receiving opening at its top at least as long as the stack of plates collectable on said platform,

(e) said guide member, when in said first position, being operative to guide a plate onto said platform as it'falls through said opening, and being operative, upon the pivoting thereof from said first to said second position, to engage the plates stacked on said platform and to push the plates off of said platform and into a plate-holding tray.

2. In an addressing machine including a horizontally disposed table, and means for conveying address plates one by one past a printing station on said table to at least one discharge opening in said table, means beneath said table for collecting the address plates one above another as they fall through said opening, comprising (a) at least two guide members extending downwardly beneath said table,

(b) a vertically movable platform mounted beneath said table in registry with said opening-in said table,

(0) means mounting said guide members adjacent the lower ends thereof for limited pivotal movement as a unit about a horizontal axis between a first position in which said guide members are positioned vertical-1y beneath said ta-ble adjacent opposite sides of said opening, and a second position in which said members are inclined from the vertical, and

(d) means for removably supporting beneath said table for pivotal movement with said guide members a plateholding tray having a plate receiving opening at its top at least as long as the stack of plates col-1 lectable on said platform,

(e) said guide members being operative, when in said first position, to guide plates onto said platform as they fall through said discharge opening, and

(f) at least one of said guide members being operative, upon the movement of said members from said first to said second position, to engage the plates stacked on said platform and to push the plates off of said platform and into a plate-holding tray.

3. In an addressing machine as defined in claim 2 wherein said collecting means includes a manually operable lever connected at one end to said guide members and pivotal in opposite directions to move said members between said first and said second position, respectively.

4. In an addressing machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said supporting means comprises (a) a further platform which is fixed to, and which projects transversely outwardly from the other of said two guide members adjacent the lower end thereof, and wherein (b) said further platform is adapted to support the lower end of a plate-holding tray beneath the firstnamed platform, when said guide members are in said first position, and is adapted to receive and support the lowermost plate in a stack, when the stack is pushed off of said first-named platform, upon the movement of said members to said second position.

5. In an addressing machine as defined in claim 3 wherein (a) said table has at least one further discharge opening therein spaced from the first-named discharge opening,

(b) a magazine is mounted beneath said further discharge opening for collecting address plates which fall therethrough, and including (0) means operable for opening and closing said firstnamed discharge opening relative to the address plates conveyed thereto by said conveying means,

(d) said conveying means being operative to convey plates over said first-named discharge opening, when it is closed, to said further discharge opening.

6. In an addressing machine as defined in claim 5 including (a) control means mounted adjacent the lower ends of said guide members and engageable by the firstnamed platform to cause said opening and closing means to close said first-named opening, when said first-named platform has moved vertically downward beneath said table to a lowermost position in which it is completely stacked with plates, and

(b) further control means vertically spaced above the first-named control means,

(c) said further control means being engageable by said first-named platform to cause said opening and closing means to open said first-named opening relative to said address plates, when said first-named platform is moved upwardly from said lowermost position after the removal of plates from said firstnamed platform.

7. In an addressing machine as defined in claim 2 wherein said conveying means comprises (a) a pair of endless chains mounted to rotate in a plane parallel to said table,

(b) each of said chains has a run extending parallel to and spaced from a corresponding run on the other of said chains, and said parallel runs flank opposite sides, respectively, of said printing station and discharge opening,

(0) each of said chains has thereon a plurality of equispaced teeth which project inwardly toward the space between said parallel runs, and which teeth are adapted to engage a vertical flange formed on the rear edge of a respective address plate thereby to push said plate the length of the space between said parallel runs when said chains are rotating, whereby said plate will be free to drop through said discharge opening when it passes thereover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,135,545 Hodgman Apr. 13, 1915 2,076,700 Bryce Apr. 13, 1937 2,533,422 Braun Dec. 12, 1950 2,726,860 Luhn Dec. 13, 1955 

1. IN AN ADDRESSING MACHINE INCLUDING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED TABLE, AND MEANS FOR CONVEYING ADDRESS PLATES ONE BY ONE PAST A PRINTING STATION ON SAID TABLE TO AT LEAST ONE DISCHARGE OPENING IN SAID TABLE, MEANS BENEATH SAID TABLE FOR COLLECTING THE ADDRESS PLATES ONE ABOVE ANOTHER AS THEY FALL THROUGH SAID OPENING, COMPRISING (A) AT LEAST ONE GUIDE MEMBER EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY BENEATH SAID TABLE, (B) A VERTICALLY MOVABLE PLATFORM MOUNTED BENEATH SAID TABLE IN REGISTRY WITH SAID OPENING IN SAID TABLE, (C) MEANS MOUNTING SAID GUIDE MEMBER ADJACENT THE LOWER END THEREOF FOR LIMITED PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH SAID MEMBER IS POSITIONED VERTICALLY BENEATH SAID OPENING AND A SECOND POSITION SAID MEMBER IS INCLINED FROM THE VERTICAL, AND (D) MEANS FOR REMOVABLY SUPPORTING BENEATH SAID TABLE FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT WITH SAID GUIDE MEMBER, A PLATE-HOLDING TRAY HAVING A PLATE RECEIVING OPENING AT ITS TOP AT LEAST AS LONG AS THE STACK OF PLATES COLLECTABLE ON SAID PLATFORM, 